Frank Sinatra biography, age and cause of death, personal life, children, height

Biography of Frank Sinatra

Frank Sinatra was an iconic American singer who defined his generation and secured his place as a legend in music history. Known as "the greatest voice of the 20th century," he earned three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame—for his work as a singer, film actor, and entertainer. Sinatra possessed undeniable charisma and was legendary for his romantic escapades, earning him a reputation as one of Hollywood's most notorious heartthrobs.

Childhood and Family

The future crooner was born to Italian immigrants who'd made their way to America in the early 1900s. His mother, Natalina Maria Vittoria (Dolly) Garaventa, came from the small village of Lumarzo near Genoa, and his father, Antonio Martino Sinatra, was a native of the town of Lercara Friddi, tucked away in northwestern Sicily's mountains. Lucky Luciano, the famous Italian mobster who also moved to America in the early 1900s, was from the same area. Frank tried his whole life to hide this information and categorically denied any personal acquaintance with the godfather of the American mafia. The connection remains documented in church records.

After crossing the ocean, Sinatra's parents settled in the small port town of Hoboken, New Jersey. Italian and Irish immigrants battled fiercely for control of the loading docks, fighting to carve out their piece of the American dream. The town was divided into two parts, each with its own gangs.

Frank's father wasn't one to back down and quickly learned to navigate these tough streets. Initially, he worked at the port, then tried to earn money through illegal boxing matches, but after a wrist injury, he had to leave the sport. Thanks to his wife's connections – she was quite the force in local circles – Martin landed a fire department job and even made captain without taking any exams.

Frank's mother worked as a nurse midwife and was a respected person in the city. She quietly provided abortion services to local women and knew people in all the right places. During Prohibition, she and her husband opened a tavern where they offered patrons bootleg alcohol and cigarettes. Dolly also wielded serious influence in Democratic Party circles – quite remarkable for an immigrant woman of her time.

She simply had no time to raise her son. His father was also constantly busy, so the boy was under the care of his grandparents. They spoiled their only grandchild, who'd nearly died at birth. The baby was huge – about thirteen pounds. Doctors had to use forceps to deliver him. Frank was left with noticeable scars on his cheek and neck for life, and his eardrum was damaged, causing him to have poor hearing in his left ear.

But this didn't stop the boy from falling hard for music early on. At thirteen, his parents bought him a ukulele, and young Frank began performing first in their family tavern and then in other venues in Hoboken. Despite having no formal training and his damaged eardrum, he picked up melodies purely by instinct. The self-taught boy adopted his vocal style and manner of performance from his idol Bing Crosby.

Frank Sinatra copied Bing Crosby's style

At sixteen, Sinatra got kicked out of school for poor grades and acting up, but he didn't much care. By that time, he had already organized a quartet with his friends called "The Hoboken Four," which in 1935 became a winner of a talent competition on the popular radio show "Major Bowes' Amateur Hour." This launched the young musicians on their first small tour, hitting bars and taverns from city to city. They got radio play, but Frank had his sights set on going solo, so he eventually left the group behind.

Career Path

Manhattan housed all the hottest stage venues, and Lucky Luciano – Sinatra's fellow Italian-American who'd become the American Mafia's godfather – controlled them. Frank's mother helped him connect with Lucky's people, and they arranged an audition for the young singer. The mobsters saw young talent as investments that could pay off big. Therefore, they took a liking to young Sinatra and decided to promote him.

Every detail of the arrangement stayed buried in secrecy, with Frank sworn never to reveal his powerful backers' names. Frank wanted it all, so he agreed to whatever they demanded. Years later, when director Francis Ford Coppola openly hinted at Sinatra's mob ties in "The Godfather" – with Johnny Fontane clearly modeled after Frank – the singer threatened to sue the studio and beat up Mario Puzo, who wrote the source novel.

Sinatra's career was suddenly skyrocketing. Renowned musician and producer Harry James brought him into his orchestra, launching the young crooner on his first major cross-country tour. He then joined Tommy Dorsey's jazz band as a soloist and quickly shot to national stardom. His name blazed across posters at prestigious clubs and concert halls, with crowds of screaming fans mesmerized by his irresistible charm mobbing the entrances.

Performances with Benny Goodman's orchestra sent his popularity soaring even higher, and by 1942, Sinatra was headlining solo concerts in Times Square. After a show-stopping Christmas performance at New York's Paramount Theatre, Frank became America's heartthrob, the "golden voice" that defined a generation.

Hollywood came calling, and by war's end, Sinatra had already racked up a dozen film credits. In 1946, he released his debut album "The Voice of Frank Sinatra," followed two years later by "Christmas Songs By Sinatra," packed with holiday classics that became part of music history's golden vault.

Frank Sinatra in 'Reveille with Beverly' (1943)

At the height of his fame, Sinatra hit a devastating creative wall, triggered by his tumultuous affair with Hollywood bombshell Ava Gardner. Frank spiraled into heavy drinking, started breaking contracts, and sank into a deep depression that nearly drove him to suicide.

His wife filed for divorce, and worse yet, Frank lost his voice completely and couldn't perform. He began fading from public memory, and Frank watched his life spiral downward. He desperately reached out to powerful connections, but even they wanted nothing to do with his spectacular fall from grace.

The mob's Hollywood fixer was Johnny Roselli. Through Roselli's intervention, Sinatra landed a role in "From Here to Eternity" (1953), the comeback that would resurrect his career. Frank threw everything into the role, knowing this was his last shot – and he absolutely nailed it. For the role of Private Angelo Maggio, he received an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.

Frank Sinatra Wins Supporting Actor: 1954 Oscars

His voice problems proved temporary too, and he was soon back on the concert circuit. His new albums dropped one after another, each one climbing straight to the top of the charts. His TV and radio hosting career exploded too – Sinatra's variety shows drew massive audiences and became cultural phenomena.

Frank Sinatra – That's Life

In the late 1950s, the singer began performing with such stars as Sammy Davis, Dean Martin, Joe Bishop, and Peter Lawford, and collaborated with big bands like Count Basie, Quincy Jones, Billy May, and Nelson Riddle.

In Las Vegas, he had a stake in several casinos and was considered one of the most influential and wealthy people in America. It was no surprise that Frank became involved in John Kennedy's election campaign, whom he considered a friend. The Mafia was also interested in this candidate's victory, not foreseeing what it would lead to later.

Frank Sinatra at the recording studio, early 50s

Sinatra genuinely believed Kennedy could transform America and end the racial discrimination he'd always fought against. He also desperately wanted to become US ambassador to Italy and return to his homeland in triumph. But things didn't go as Frank and his patrons had hoped.

Robert Kennedy, the President's younger brother, became Attorney General and launched an all-out war on crime, building a case against Sinatra himself over his Mafia ties. After the inauguration, John Kennedy snubbed Frank's invitation and never visited, leaving Sinatra to realize he'd simply been played.

Frank Sinatra and Doris Day ('Young at Heart', 1954)

Somehow, Sinatra dodged both Mafia retaliation and legal prosecution. He continued to record songs and act in films, and from 1965 onward, he took up directing and producing, making the film "None but the Brave" and producing seven movies, including the highly successful "Robin and the 7 Hoods." But gradually, the era of the Beatles and Rolling Stones arrived, making Sinatra and other artists of his generation seem outdated. The public wanted new idols, and recognizing this shift, Frank announced his retirement from the stage in 1971.

In 1971, Sinatra ended his musical career

After this, Sinatra released several more solo albums, and in 1979, he performed a new arrangement of "New York, New York," which became the city's unofficial anthem and still plays in Times Square at midnight every New Year's Eve.

Frank Sinatra – New York, New York (Live At Tokyo, 1985)

In 1993, two final lifetime compilations, "Duets" and "Duets 2," were released, featuring Barbra Streisand, Tony Bennett, Julio Iglesias, Charles Aznavour, Liza Minnelli, and other world stars. Sinatra took to the stage for the last time on February 25, 1995, unable to refuse the guests of a prestigious golf tournament in Palm Springs.

Frank Sinatra in the last years of his life

Frank Sinatra's Personal Life

Despite his short stature, facial scars, and slender build, Frank was a hit with women from an early age—and the feeling was mutual. His smooth voice made young hearts skip a beat, and his fiery Italian charm was simply irresistible. By fifteen, Frankie was already performing in taverns and bars, cruising around in a car his doting mother had bought him, and charging clothes to his own account at a fashion store.

No wonder he never lacked for admirers—he even nearly landed in jail for having an affair with a married woman (back then, this was actually a criminal offense under American law).

Frank Sinatra arrested for having a relationship with a married woman (1938)

His mother wasn't thrilled with the situation and found him a bride—a sweet, respectable girl from a good family who became Sinatra's first wife. In February 1939, Frank married Nancy Barbato, and a year later, he became the proud father of a daughter named Nancy, after her mother. Nancy Sinatra Jr. became a singer known for the hit "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'."

In 1944, baby Frank was born, who later became a musician and led his father's orchestra from 1988 to 1995. In 1948, his wife gave Sinatra another daughter, Christina (or Tina for short), who became a significant figure in the American film industry.

Frank Sinatra with his wife and children

But Dolly Sinatra's hopes were dashed—her son never became the model family man she'd envisioned and kept having affairs on the side. As his popularity grew, so did the number of women dreaming of being in his arms. Nancy had no choice but to look the other way when it came to her husband's cheating, all for the sake of their children's happiness.

But eventually, even her saint-like patience wore thin—Frank fell head over heels for actress Ava Gardner, one of Hollywood's most stunning beauties, and completely lost his mind. Their romance was like a storm at sea: the lovers fought like crazy, made up passionately, and flaunted their relationship all over town. Photos of the star couple were splashed across every magazine, and Nancy, unable to stand the public humiliation any longer, filed for divorce.

In 1951, the marriage was officially dissolved, and Frank immediately married Ava. But once again, wedded bliss wasn't in the cards—the couple fought constantly, drove each other crazy with jealousy, and tried to drown their pain in booze. To make matters worse, Frank suddenly lost his voice, putting his entire career in jeopardy. Sinatra hit the bottle even harder, spiraled into a deep depression, and came dangerously close to ending it all.

Ava supported her husband as best she could during this difficult period, but when Frank returned to the stage, their relationship reached another breaking point. Sinatra returned to his old ways and began having affairs, and Gardner, struck back by taking a lover herself, ultimately leading to the dissolution of their marriage after six years of living together.

Despite the breakup, they were able to forgive each other and remained friends for the rest of their lives. When Ava became seriously ill, Frank rushed to her side and paid for all her medical expenses. Sinatra often admitted that despite their complicated relationship, Gardner was the great love of his life.

Sinatra's third wife was actress Mia Farrow, who was thirty years younger than her husband. Their marriage lasted only a year and a half and ended due to his constant infidelity. He couldn't resist the parade of beautiful women drawn to his legendary voice. He was rumored to have had affairs with Marilyn Monroe, Gina Lollobrigida, Lana Turner, Shirley MacLaine, Jacqueline Bisset, and even Grace Kelly, the future princess of Monaco.

Sinatra married for the last time in 1976—he chose former dancer and model Barbara Marx. This marriage finally brought him peace—Barbara effortlessly handled his quirks, charmed his friends, relatives, children, and ex-wives, and appeared genuinely content. Rumors swirled that Barbara endured it all for the money, but whatever her motives, she stayed by Sinatra's side for 22 years until he died.

Barbara Marx, the last wife of Frank Sinatra

The Final Years and Death

A year before his death, on May 14, 1997, the singer received the Congressional Gold Medal—one of the most prestigious awards in the United States, given for outstanding contributions to the country's history and culture. In 1984, Ronald Reagan presented him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom—the highest civilian honor for invaluable contributions to national interests and maintaining the country's reputation in the global community.

Sinatra passed away on May 14, 1998, from a heart attack at the age of 82. Journalists declared it the end of an era, though the 20th century still had two years to go. He was buried next to his father and mother at Desert Memorial Park in Cathedral City, near Palm Springs. His modest headstone bears the inscription "The Best Is Yet to Come."

Photos: Frank Sinatra

Biography of Frank Sinatra

Childhood and Family

Career Path

Frank Sinatra's Personal Life

The Final Years and Death